CHAP. XX.

A Defcription of feveral other Iflands in the Neighbourhood of Otaheite, with various Incidents; a dramatic Entertainment; and many Particulars relative to the Customs and Manners of the Inhabitants.

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FTER parting with our friends, we made an easy sail, with gentle breezes and clear weather, and were informed by Tupia, that four of the neighbouring islands, which he diftinguished by the names of HUAHEINE ULIETEA, OTAHA, and BOLA BOLA, ́lay at the distance of between one and two days fail from Otaheite; and that hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, with which we had of late been but fparingly fupplied, were there to be procured in great plenty; but having discovered from the hills of Otaheite, an island lying to the northward, which he called TETHUROA, I determined first to stand that way, to take a nearer view of it. It lies N. W. distant eight leagues from the northern extremity of Otaheite, upon which we had obferved the tranfit, and to which we had, for that reason, given the name of POINT VENUS. We found it to be a small low island, and were told by Tupia, that it had no fettled inhabitants, but was occafionally vifited by the inhabitants of Otaheite, who fometimes went thither for a few days to fish; we therefore determined to spend no more time in a farther examination of it, but to go in fearch of Huaheine and Ulietea, which he defcribed to be well peopled, and as large as Otaheite.

VOL. II.

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1769. July.

Thursday 13.

1769. July.

Friday 14.

Saturday 15.

Sunday 16.

Huaheine.

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At fix o'clock in the morning of the 14th, the westermoft part of EIMEO, or York Ifland, bore S. E. S. and the body of Otaheite E. S. At noon, the body of York Ifland bore E. by S. S. and Port-Royal bay, at Otaheite, S. 70° 45′ E. diftant 61 miles, and an ifland which we took to be Saunders's Island, called by the natives TAPO AMANAO, bore S. S. W. We also saw land bearing N. W. W. which Tupia faid was Huaheine.

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On the 15th, it was hazy, with light breezes and calms fucceeding each other, fo that we could fee no land, and made but little way. Our Indian, Tupia, often prayed for a wind to his god Tane, and as often boafted of his fuccess, which indeed he took a very effectual method to fecure, for he never began his address to Tane, till he saw a breeze fo near that he knew it must reach the fhip before his oraison was well over.

On the 16th, we had a gentle breeze; and in the morning about eight o'clock, being close in with the north west part of the island Huaheine, we founded, but had no bottom with 80 fathom. Some canoes very foon came off, but the people seemed afraid, and kept at a distance till they discovered Tupia, and then they ventured nearer. In one of the canoes that came up to the fhip's fide, was the king of the ifland and his wife. Upon affurances of friendship, frequently and earneftly repeated, their Majefties and fome others came on board. At first they were ftruck with aftonishment, and wondered at every thing that was fhewn them; yet they made no enquiries, and feeming to be fatisfied with what was offered to their notice, they made no fearch after other objects of curiofity, with which it was natural to fuppofe a building of fuch novelty and magnitude as the fhip muft abound. After fome time, they became more familiar. I

was

was given to understand, that the name of the king was OREE, and he propofed, as a mark of amity, that we should exchange names. To this I readily confented; and he was Cookee, for fo he pronounced my name, and I was Oree, for the rest of the time we were together. We found these people to be very nearly the same with thofe of Otaheite, in perfon, dress, language, and every other circumstance, except, if Tupia might be believed, that they would not steal.

Soon after dinner, we came to an anchor, in a small but excellent harbour on the weft fide of the island, which the Natives call OWHARRE, in eighteen fathom water, clear ground, and fecure from all winds. I went immediately afhore, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Mr. Monkhouse, Tupia, King Cookee, and some other of the natives who had been on board ever fince the morning. The moment we landed Tupia ftripped himself as low as the waist, and defired Mr. Monkhoufe to do the fame: he then fat down before a great number of the natives, who were collected together in a large house or shed; for here, as well as at Otaheite, a houfe confifts only of a roof fupported upon poles; the rest of us, by his defire, ftanding behind. He then began a speech or prayer which lasted about a quarter of an hour, the King who flood over against him every now and then answering in what appeared to be fet responses. In the course of this harangue he delivered at different times two handkerchiefs, a black filk neckcloth, fome beads, two fmall bunches of feathers, and fome plantains, as prefents to their Eatua, or God. In return for these, he received for our Eatua, a hog, fome young plantains, and two small bunches of feathers, which he ordered to be carried on board the fhip. After thefe ceremonies, which we fuppofed to be the ratification of a treaty between us, every one was dismissed

1769.

July.

Sunday 16.

1769. July.

Monday 17.

Tuesday 18.

to go whither he pleased; and Tupia immediately repaired to offer his oblations at one of the Morais.

The next morning, we went on fhore again, and walked up the hills, where the productions were exactly the fame as thofe of Otaheite, except that the rocks and clay appeared to be more burnt. The houfes were neat, and the boathouses remarkably large; one that we measured was fifty paces long, ten broad, and twenty-four feet high; the whole formed a pointed arch, like thofe of our old cathedrals, which was fupported on one fide by twenty-fix, and on the other by thirty pillars, or rather pofts, about two feet high, and one thick, upon most of which were rudely carved the heads of men, and feveral fanciful devices, not altogether unlike those which we fometimes fee printed from wooden blocks, at the beginning and end of old books. The plains, or flat part of the country, abounded in bread-fruit, and cocoa-nut trees; in fome places, however, there were falt fwamps and lagoons, which would produce neither.

We went again a-fhore on the 18th, and would have taken the advantage of Tupia's company, in our perambulation; but he was too much engaged with his friends: we took however his boy, whofe name was TAYETO, and Mr. Banks went to take a farther view of what had much engaged his attention before; it was a kind of cheft or ark, the lid of which was nicely fewed on, and thatched very neatly with palm-nut leaves: it was fixed upon two poles, and fupported on little arches of wood, very neatly carved; the use of the poles feemed to be to remove it from place to place, in the manner of our fedan chairs: in one end of it was a square hole, in the middle of which was a ring touching the fides, and leaving the angles open, fo as to form a round höle within a fquare one. The first time Mr. Banks faw this cof

fer,

fer, the aperture at the end was ftopped with a piece of cloth, which, least he should give offence, he left untouched; probably there was then fomething within, but now the cloth was taken away, and, upon looking into it, it was found empty. The general resemblance between this repofitory and the Ark of the Lord among the Jews is remarkable; but it is ftill more remarkable, that upon enquiring of the boy what it was called, he said, Ewharre no Eatua, the house of the God: he could however give no account of its fignification or ufe. We had commenced a kind of trade with the natives, but it went on flowly; for when any thing was offered, not one of them would take it upon his own judgment, but collected the opinions of twenty or thirty people, which could not be done without great lofs of time. We got, however, eleven pigs, and determined to try for more the next day.

1769.

July. Tuesday 18.

The next day, therefore, we brought out fome hatchets, Wednef. 19. for which we hoped we should have had no occafion, upon an island which no European had ever visited before. Thefe procured us three very large hogs; and as we proposed to fail in the afternoon, King Oree and several others came on board to take their leave. To the King I gave a small plate of pewter, on which was ftamped this infcription, "His Bri"tannic Majefty's fhip, Endeavour, Lieutenant Cook Com

mander, 16th July 1769, Huaheine.” I gave him alfo fome medals or counters, refembling the coin of England, ftruck in the year 1761, with fome other prefents; and he promised that with none of thefe, particularly the plate, he would ever part. I thought it as lasting a teftimony of our having first discovered this ifland, as any we could leave behind; and having difmiffed our visitors well fatisficd, and in great good-humour, we fet fail, about half an hour after two in the afternoon..

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